Time preferences let you define exactly when you're available and how meetings get booked so your calendar works for you, not the other way around. Set these once and Doodle handles the rest automatically across your booking page and any invitations you receive.
Step-by-step guide
Time Settings
Click your profile icon in the bottom-left corner of the Doodle sidebar.
Select Account settings from the menu.
Click Time Preferences in the left-hand settings menu.
Under 'time zone', click the dropdown and select your time zone. This applies globally to your booking pages, group polls, and calendar events. It's important to select your own timezone as Doodle automatically sets the correct time zone for each of your participants.
Under 'meeting hours', click the + icon next to each day you want to be available. Set your start and end times using the time fields (e.g., 9:00 am to 5:00 pm). To remove hours for a day, click the × next to that day's time range.
Toggle 'Auto-reject invites outside meeting hours' on if you want Doodle to automatically decline requests that fall outside your defined hours.
Booking Preferences
Under 'buffer time', set the number of minutes you want added before and after each meeting. This gives you breathing room between calls.
Under 'preferred meeting length', set your default meeting duration in minutes. This will be pre-filled when you create new booking pages or events, but you can also edit it for each event you create.
Under 'time alignment', select how meeting start times should be rounded- choose from 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, or 30 min intervals to keep your calendar clean and easy to read.
Under 'meeting density control', drag the slider to set the maximum number of hours you're willing to be in meetings per day. Once that limit is reached, Doodle stops offering new booking slots and automatically rejects new requests.
Your preferences are saved automatically — no save button needed.
Tips
Start with meeting hours before sharing your booking page. If you leave meeting hours empty for a day, that day stays open by default.
Buffer time applies to all bookings globally. If you need different buffer rules for specific meeting types, adjust them at the individual booking page level instead.
Meeting density control only applies to future bookings- it won't affect meetings already on your calendar.
Frequently asked questions
Do these settings apply to all my booking pages? Yes. Time zone, meeting hours, and booking preferences are account-wide defaults. They apply across all your booking pages unless overridden at the individual page level.
What happens to invitations that fall outside my meeting hours? If you've turned on the 'auto-reject invites outside meeting hours' toggle, those invitations are automatically declined. If the toggle is off, they'll still come through for you to handle manually.